Pictures of Bed Bug Infestations

These pictures show bed bug infestations in different areas to help you identify a bed bug infestation.

Bed bugs are small and really good at finding places to hide. They are not too small to be seen though, as many people mistakenly believe. You can see adult bed bugs with the naked eye. And you can also see their signs: feces and molted exoskeletons.

But you might not be sure exactly what you’re looking for. Even after seeing the many pictures on this site, you still might be thinking:

Would I even recognize a bed bug if I saw one?

The pictures on this page show you some places to look for bed bugs and what you might see. They should help you recognize bed bugs if you come across them.

Group of Bed Bugs

This picture shows bed bugs at different life stages as well as molted exoskeletons.

Bed Bugs in Seam of Backpack

Look at how the bed bugs hide in the seams of this backpack. Also note the size in relation to the zipper and fingers of the person showing the backpack. Bed bugs are good hitchhikers. This is why it is so important to take precautions.

To clean up a backpack like this, vaccuum the bed bugs off of it into a bag-style vacuum. (Treat the vacuum bag with diatomaceous earth to kill bed bugs.) Then throw the backpack into the dryer on high for a while.

Bed Bugs and Bed Bugs Feces on Mattress Seam

Bed bugs hide close to where people sleep because that is where bed bugs feed. They hide their flat bodies in crevices like the seam of this mattress. This is also the place to look for bed bugs during the initial stage of an infestation.